Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1887-10-29
TO TRE PRRs~ OF the an.
PUBLIC.

me-
PUBLIC.
The Salt Lake Tribune asks The ore..
press OF the country, North, South. East
and West, to sound the alarm that in
the movement for Statehood for Utah
snere lies a mighty menace to the future
peace OF this Republic, and to note that
Inc Statehood conspiracy is much deeper
than Is now suspected. It was prepared
in Washington, and will be urged by
many men that no one not in the secret
now suspects, unless the press and the
pulplts Of the country stamp it out and
make 1t SO unpopular that Congressman
will not dare advocate it. Besides the
expected partisan gain, the movement
will be backed by an enormous fund.
To h Mormons, Statehood means the
Iuii estabhshment-"th the rolling forth I"
-of their kingdom; the thing their
priests have promised them for 10, these
many years, and the expenditure of
$780, 600 to secure such . sovereign
triumph, would be nothing to them.
The assessment for that amount for that
special purpose has already been levied
upon their people. The situation is
fairly stated by the San Francisco Chron.
icle in the following:
Cardinal Gibbons has recently made a
statement in reference to the proselytiz.
ing tendencies Of the Mormons which is
decidedly at variance with the declara.
tions put forth by the Mormons them.
selves. He says that whereas a few
years ago the Mormons gathered most of
their converts to their peculiar doctrines
In Europe, now they are carrying on
their labors in several of the Southern
States, and that the apostles of polygamy
are bold and defiant.
Two Of the Utah Commissioners, Nc.
Clernand and Carlton, have submitted to
the Secretary of the Interior a minority
report which reads as if it were written
in the shadow of the Temple itself.
They dissent from the majority report,
on the ground that it introduces theo.
logical discussion into a secular docu.
ment. They further say that while the
great mass Of the Mormon people are
making an effort for the abandonment of
the practice of polygamy, they are asked
to recommend further legislation of a
hostile character, which they decline to
do. They recommend the adoption of an
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, prohibiting the practice
of polygamy in any form in any of the
States or Territories. The wonder is
they did not embrace murder, burglary,
arson, grand larceny and the whole list
Of f~elonies in their proposed amendment.
In the discussion of the Mormon ques.
tion, particularly with reference to the
admission of Utah as a State, the matter
OF polygamy has 50 far overshadowed
everything else as to divert public atten.
tion from another matter more dangerous
by far to the future of an American
State than the existence of polygamy,
and that is the indissoluble union OF
church and State which would certainly
come about if Utah were to be admitted.
1t must be borne in mind that the first
amendment to the Federal Constitution
only prohibits Congress from making
laws respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; and that under the tenth amend.
ment, the powers not delegated to the
United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are re.
served to the States respectively, or to
the people. The obvious meaning OF
these two amendments is that any State
may, if it chooses, establish a particular
religion, or prohibit the free exercise of
any other than the established religion;
and who could doubt that the Mormon
religion would be declared to be the
established religion of Utah?
This once effected, the whole power of
the United States could not destroy it.
Utah would be a sovereign State, pos.
sessing every attribute and incident of
self.government, and an established
religion would be as much beyond the
control of Congress as any other legal
measure not in conflict with the Consti.
tuition.
This is the real obstacle to the admis.
sion of Utah. So long as she is a Terri
tory there can be no legal union of
church and State. Admit her and she
can do as she thinks best. Polygamy is
but one phase of Mormonism- "A revolt
ing one, it is true, but still only one, and
which the Federal Government can sup.
press. The danger is in permitting a
union of church and State, which would
inevitably come about if Utah were ad.
mitted to the Union while the Mormons
are in the %ascendent.
The above is every word true and the
press of the country will be untrue to
itself if it fails the people when such a
danger is threatened.